Synchronizing floor control and media sharing in a half-duplex PTT system

ABSTRACT

The disclosure is directed to synchronizing media sharing in a communication group. An embodiment transmits one or more media files to one or more members of the communication group, receives, after the transmitting, a selection of one of the one or more media files, and transmits, in response to the receiving, a request to start a group call with the one or more members of the communication group or a request to acquire the floor of the group call. An embodiment receives, at a user device, one or more media files from a member of the communication group, receives, after the receiving the one or more media files, a talk spurt from the member and a reference to one of the one or more media files, and displays the one of the one or more media file during the talk spurt.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No.12/141,493, filed on Jun. 18, 2008, which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/945,102, filed on Jun. 20,2007. The contents of these documents are incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to point-to-point or point-to-multipointwireless communications systems. More specifically, the presentinvention relates to systems and methods for sharing various forms ofmedia between members of a communicating group of wirelesstelecommunication devices.

2. Description of the Related Art

In wireless telecommunication devices, such as cellular phones, PDAs,mini-laptops, and advanced pagers, the devices typically communicateover long distances by bridging telephone calls through existingcellular telephone networks and passing data packets across the network.These wireless devices often have limited to significant data processingand computing capability, and can accordingly send and receive softwareprograms, in addition to voice, across the telephone network.

There exists a wireless telecommunication service that provides a quickone-to-one or one-to-many communication that is generically referred toas “Push-To-Talk” (PTT) capability. The specific PTT group of recipientdevices for the communicating wireless device is commonly set up by thecarrier. A PTT communication connection is typically initiated by asingle button-push on the wireless device that activates a half-duplexlink between the speaker and each member device of the group and oncethe button is released, the device can receive incoming PTTtransmissions once the button is released. In some arrangements, the PTTspeaker will have the “floor” where no other group member can speakwhile the speaker is speaking. Once the speaker releases the PTT button,any other individual member of the group can engage their PTT button andthey will have the floor.

In existing PTT systems, member devices will only communicate voice databetween the devices in an active group communication. It is difficult toinclude other data in the group communication because of the size of thedata and the device resources necessary to handle non-voice data. Theexisting mobile devices therefore send non-voice data, such as graphics,multimedia and other data files, through specific data channelsestablished between the device and a wireless communication network.

Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide a system and method fora wireless device member of a group to send media to others member ofthe PTT target group. The system and method should be able toaccommodate group-directed media data of large size without compromisingthe integrity of other PTT communications or unduly utilizing deviceresources. It is thus to the provision of such a system and method toallow group-directed media among wireless devices in a PTT group thatthe present invention is primarily directed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly described, the present invention includes a system, method, andwireless communication device that allows the sharing of media betweencommunication groups on wireless communication networks. In the system,the user can attach a data file, data block, or otherapplication-specific data, which can be a picture, an audio clip, avoice mail message, and the like, and send it to one or more othermember's wireless devices. The distribution data path for thegroup-direct media can be independent from the same data path of the PTTvoice communications, or can be independent of it such that the featurecan be accessed at any time, whether the user is participating in a PTTcall or not. In one embodiment, the originator of the group-directedmedia can select a target list of members to receive the data file, andthe target list can be one or more user addresses, one or more groupaddresses, or a combination of the two.

In one embodiment, if the originator of the group-directed media isparticipating in a PTT call, the originator can elect to send the fileto one or more participants of the same PTT call by uploading the fileto a server and then the server or the originator can notify the targetwireless devices that a file is available for download. The target usersare provided the option to allow or decline the downloading of the fileon to the target client. Alternately, the target users are provided apointer, such as a hyperlink, to the stored file where they can laterobtain that file without necessarily downloading to the wirelesscommunication device. Furthermore, the system can be embodied such thatthe target user can periodically browse or poll the file server to checkand see if media is available for download.

In one embodiment, the system for sharing media in a group communicationamong a plurality of wireless communications devices includes at leastone wireless communication device that is a member of a communicationgroup of wireless communication devices that communicate with each otherin direct group communications across a wireless communication network,such as PTT voice communications. The wireless communication device willselectively send group-directed media to other members of thecommunication group, and at least one group communication computerdevice stores information on communication groups on the wirelesscommunication network that includes the member wireless communicationdevices of one or more communication groups. The group communicationcomputer device selectively receives group-directed media from a sendingwireless communication device of a communication group and sends thegroup-directed media to the other member wireless communication devicesof the communication group for the sending wireless communicationdevice. The group communication computer device can be selectively incommunication with a data store to store the group-directed media forthe member wireless communication devices to access the media. Thewireless communication device may also be a desktop, laptop or otherstationary computer platform that can have a wired connection toInternet or other network, and otherwise engage in group-communicationswith the other wireless communication devices.

In one embodiment, the method for sharing media in a group communicationamong a plurality of wireless communications devices on a wirelesscommunication network includes receiving at a group communicationcomputer device the group-directed media sent from a wirelesscommunication device to other members of the communication group for thewireless communication device, with the wireless communication device amember of a communication group of wireless communication devices thatcommunicate with each other in direct group communications across awireless communication network The group communication computer devicestoring information including the member wireless communication devicesof one or more communication groups, and then sending the group-directedmedia from the group communication computer device to one or more of theother member wireless communication devices of the communication groupfor the sending wireless communication device.

Various embodiments are directed to synchronizing media sharing in acommunication group. An embodiment transmits one or more media files toone or more members of the communication group, receives, after thetransmitting, a selection of one of the one or more media files, andtransmits, in response to the receiving, a request to start a group callwith the one or more members of the communication group or a request toacquire the floor of the group call. An embodiment receives, at a userdevice, one or more media files from a member of the communicationgroup, receives, after the receiving the one or more media files, a talkspurt from the member and a reference to one of the one or more mediafiles, and displays the one of the one or more media file during thetalk spurt.

The present system and method are therefore advantageous in that awireless communication device member of a communication group has theability to share media among the other member devices of thecommunication group, such as a PTT target group, either during anongoing group communication or separately therefrom. The system andmethod allows the group-directed media of any size to be communicatedwithout unduly utilizing device resources. Moreover, the group-directedmedia can be in virtually any data type and include active andaccessible computer applications.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent after review of the Brief Description of the Drawings,Detailed Description of the Invention, and the Claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a representative diagram of a wireless network with adesignated PTT group of wireless telecommunication devices communicatingwith a group communication server and other computer devices across thewireless network.

FIG. 2 is a representative diagram of one embodiment of a wirelessnetwork in a common cellular telecommunication configuration, having agroup communication server control communications between the wirelesstelecommunication devices of PTT group members.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the computer platform of thewireless telecommunication device with PTT capability.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of one embodiment of the software layers of thecommunication group application, with a PTT client and a group-directedmedia client.

FIG. 5 is a call flow diagram of one embodiment of the establishment ofa PTT communication and a group-directed media transmission betweencommunication group member wireless communication devices

FIG. 6 is a call flow diagram of one embodiment of the group-directedmedia transmission occurring during a shared floor as a PTT client onthe transmitting wireless communication device.

FIG. 7 is a call flow diagram of one embodiment of the group-directedmedia transmission occurring on a different floor from a PTT client onthe transmitting wireless communication device.

FIG. 8 is a call flow diagram of one embodiment of the systemestablishing immediate group-directed media transmission to multipletarget devices across the wireless communication network.

FIG. 9 is a call flow diagram of one embodiment of the distribution totarget members of a file preview of a group-directed media.

FIG. 10 is a call flow diagram of one embodiment of a file retrieval ofstored group-directed media by a member of the communication group towhich the group-directed media was originally sent.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method for a wirelesscommunication device sending group-directed media to a communicationgroup.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of one embodiment of a group communicationcomputer device receiving and selectively storing or transmittinggroup-directed media.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of an exemplary group communication in whichmedia files are pre-shared before a group call is setup.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart of an exemplary group communication in whichmedia files are pre-shared before a group call is setup.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of an exemplary group communication in whichmedia files are not pre-shared before a group call is setup.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart of an exemplary group communication in whichmedia files are shared before or during a group call.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart of an exemplary group communication in whichmedia files are shared before a group call is setup.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart of exemplary first and second groupcommunications, where media files are shared before the first groupcommunication.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Aspects of the various embodiments are disclosed in the followingdescription and related drawings directed to specific embodiments areillustrated. Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing fromthe scope of the invention. Additionally, well-known elements of thevarious embodiments will not be described in detail or will be omittedso as not to obscure the relevant details of the various embodiments.

The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean “serving as an example,instance, or illustration.” Any embodiment described herein as“exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred oradvantageous over other embodiments. Likewise, the term “embodiments” or“embodiments of the invention” does not require that all embodimentsinclude the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the variousembodiments. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” areintended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearlyindicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms“comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and/or “including,” when usedherein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps,operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude thepresence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps,operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

Further, many embodiments are described in terms of sequences of actionsto be performed by, for example, elements of a computing device. It willbe recognized that various actions described herein can be performed byspecific circuits (e.g., application specific integrated circuits(ASICs)), by program instructions being executed by one or moreprocessors, or by a combination of both. Additionally, these sequence ofactions described herein can be considered to be embodied entirelywithin any form of computer readable storage medium having storedtherein a corresponding set of computer instructions that upon executionwould cause an associated processor to perform the functionalitydescribed herein. Thus, the various aspects of the various embodimentsmay be embodied in a number of different forms, all of which have beencontemplated to be within the scope of the claimed subject matter. Inaddition, for each of the embodiments described herein, thecorresponding form of any such embodiments may be described herein as,for example, “logic configured to” perform the described action.

In this description, the terms “communication device,” “wirelessdevice,” “wireless communications device,” “PTT communication device,”“handheld device,” “mobile device,” and “handset” are usedinterchangeably. The terms “call” and “communication” are also usedinterchangeably. The term “application” as used herein is intended toencompass executable and non-executable software files, raw data,aggregated data, patches, and other code segments.

With reference to the figures in which like numerals represent likeelements throughout, FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of the system 10for sharing group media among one or more wireless telecommunicationdevices in a PTT group 12, such as the wireless telephone 14, smartpager 16 and personal digital assistant (PDA) 18, with other wirelesstelecommunication devices across a wireless network 20. In the system10, each wireless telecommunication device 14,16,18 is capable ofselectively directly communicating across the wireless communicationnetwork 20 with a target set of one or more other wirelesstelecommunication devices of the plurality. For example, the target setfor mobile telephone 14 can be all devices in the communication group 12or a subset thereof, such as pager 16 and PDA 18.

In this embodiment, the wireless telecommunication device (such asmobile telephone 14) sends a flag to at least the group communicationcomputer device, shown here as server 32, which is present on aserver-side LAN 30 across the wireless network 20, to indicate that thewireless device is present, i.e. accessible, on the wireless network 20.The group communication computer device 32 can share this informationwith the set of target wireless telecommunication devices designated bythe first wireless telecommunication device, or can also share is withother computer devices resident on the server-side LAN 30 or accessibleacross the wireless network 20. The group communication computer device32 can have an attached or accessible database 34 to store the groupidentification data for the wireless devices. A data store 36, shownhere as file management server, is also present on the server-side LAN30. It should be appreciated that the number of computer componentsresident on server-side LAN 30, or across the wireless network 20, orInternet generally, are not limited.

The direct communication, such as a PTT communication, can beestablished through a half-duplex channel between the communicatingwireless telecommunication device 14,16,18 and the one or more otherwireless telecommunication devices of the target set. Also, the groupcommunication computer device 32 can attempt to bridge the requesteddirect communication with the target set if at least one of the wirelesstelecommunication devices of the target set have informed the groupcommunication computer device 32 of their presence on the wirelessnetwork 20.

The group communication computer device 32 can also inform the wirelesstelecommunication device 14,16,18 of the inability to bridge a directcommunication to the target set 12 upon none of the wirelesstelecommunication devices (or at least one) of the target set not havinginformed the group communication computer device 32 of their presence onthe wireless network 20. Further, while the group communication computerdevice 32 is shown here as having the attached database 34 of groupidentification data, the group communication computer device 32 can havegroup identity data resident thereupon, and perform all storagefunctions described herein.

In overview, the system 10 includes at least one wireless communicationdevice, such as mobile telephone 14, that is a member of a communicationgroup 12 of wireless communication devices that communicate with eachother in direct group communications across a wireless communicationnetwork 20, the at least one wireless communication device configured toselectively send group-directed media to other members of thecommunication group 12. At least one group communication computer device32 is configured to store information on communication groups 12 on thewireless communication network 20, the information including theidentity of the specific member wireless communication devices of one ormore communication groups. The group communication computer device 32 isfurther configured to selectively receive group-directed media from asending wireless communication device, such as mobile telephone 14, of acommunication group 12 and send the group-directed media to the othermember wireless communication devices of the communication group 12 forthe sending wireless communication device.

The system 10 can further include a data store 36 in communication withthe group communication computer device(s) 32, with the groupcommunication computer device 32 configured to send group-directed mediato the data store 36, as is further described herein. The data store 36configured to receive the group-designated media from the wirelesscommunication device (such as mobile phone 14) and selectively permitmembers of the communication group 12 for which the group-directed mediawas sent to access the stored group-directed media across the wirelesscommunication network 20.

The group-directed media can be any type of media. For example, thegroup-directed media can be graphic media, such as pictures in JPEG,TIF, and the like, audio files such as MP3, MP4, WAV, and the like. Themedia can also be streaming media, such as a multimedia application(Powerpoint, MOV file, and the like), and other application-specificdata or custom data for an application, either resident at the wirelesscommunication device 14,16,18 or in communication therewith. Thegroup-directed media can also be streaming media, or an interactivesession on another computer device on the wireless communication network20, such as a game hosted on data store 36 or private bulletin board.For example, participants in a game can chat via the group-communicationabout the ongoing game. Also, the group-directed media could behalf-duplex video conferencing among members of the communication groupwherein the picture of the speaker is broadcast to the other groupmembers in substantial real-time, or in delay. The group-directed mediacan also be location information, such as the GPS coordinates or networklocation of the wireless communication device 14,16,18.

The size of these media files can be very large, and because of thepotential delay of sending the media, or inability of the receivingwireless communication device to handle the sent media, the system 10can use a data store 36 (or file management server or other computerdevice) to store the group-directed media such that target members ofthe communication group 12 can selectively access the stored mediawithout interrupting other PTT communications. The data store 36 can beconfigured to automatically send the group-directed media to each of themember wireless devices of the communication group 12 upon establishinga communication link therewith. Alternatively, in one embodiment, if thegroup-directed media is stored at the data store 36, the groupcommunication computer device 32 or the data store 36 can send ahyperlink to the other member wireless communication devices of thecommunication group 12, that will provides a link to the storedgroup-directed media at the data store 36. Upon receipt of thegroup-directed media by at least one of the member wireless devices ofthe communication group, the group communication computer device 32 cansend to the wireless communication device 14,16,18 sending thegroup-directed media an acknowledgement that at least one memberwireless communication device of the communication group 12 received thegroup-directed media.

The wireless communication device 14,16,18 can send communication groupidentification data to the group communication computer device 32 at thetime of requesting the group-directed media to be sent, e.g. send atarget list, and thus, the group communication device 32 will send orstore the group-directed media to the member wireless communicationdevices identified in the communication group identification data basedupon a variety of criteria as is further discussed herein. Alternately,prior to the wireless communication device sending group-directed media,the wireless communication device 14,16,18 can request member data for acommunication group 12 from the group communication computer device 32,and the group communication computer device 32 can send one or moreaddresses or communication group addresses to the wireless communicationdevice 14,16,18. In one embodiment, the communication group computerdevice 32 can filter the potential communication groups available basedupon their member devices' capability to received group-directed media.

As is further described herein, the wireless communication device14,16,18 can be engaged in a group communication with the memberwireless communication devices of the communication group 12, and sendgroup-directed media during the group communication in the samecommunication session, or independently therefrom. Alternately, thegroup-directed media can be sent independently of thegroup-communication session.

FIG. 2 is a representative diagram of one embodiment of a wirelessnetwork in a common cellular telecommunication configuration, having aseries of group communication computer devices (group communicationservers) 32 that control communications between the wirelesscommunication devices of set group members (devices 70,72,74,76) in aPTT system. The wireless network is merely exemplary and can include anysystem whereby remote modules communicate over-the-air between and amongeach other and/or between and among components of a wireless network 20,including, without limitation, wireless network carriers and/or servers.A series of group communication servers 32 are connected to a groupcommunication server LAN 50. Wireless telephones can request packet datasessions from the group communication server(s) 32 using a data serviceoption.

The group communication server(s) 32 are connected to a wireless serviceproviders packet data service node (PDSN) such as PSDN 52, shown hereresident on a carrier network 54. Each PSDN 52 can interface with a basestation controller 64 of a base station 60 through a packet controlfunction (PCF) 62. The PCF 62 is typically located in the base station60. The carrier network 54 controls messages (generally in the form ofdata packets) sent to a messaging service controller (“MSC”) 58. Thecarrier network 30 communicates with the MSC 32 by a network, theInternet and/or POTS (“plain ordinary telephone system”). Typically, thenetwork or Internet connection between the carrier network 54 and theMSC 58 transfers data, and the POTS transfers voice information. The MSC58 can be connected to one or more base stations 60. In a similar mannerto the carrier network, the MSC 58 is typically connected to thebranch-to-source (BTS) 66 by both the network and/or Internet for datatransfer and POTS for voice information. The BTS 66 ultimatelybroadcasts and receives messages wirelessly to and from the wirelessdevices, such as cellular telephones 70,72,74,76, by short messagingservice (“SMS”), or other over-the-air methods known in the art. Itshould also be noted that carrier boundaries and/or PTT operator networkboundaries do not inhibit or prohibit the sharing of data as describedherein.

Cellular telephones and mobile telecommunication devices, such aswireless telephone 14, are being manufactured with increased computingcapabilities and are becoming tantamount to personal computers andhand-held PDAs. These “smart” cellular telephones allow softwaredevelopers to create software applications that are downloadable andexecutable on the processor of the wireless device. The wireless device,such as cellular telephone 14, can download many types of applications,such as web pages, applets, MIDlets, games and data. In wireless devicesthat have designated a communication group 12 (FIG. 1), the wirelesscommunication device can directly connect with the other member of theset and engage in voice and data communication. However, all such directcommunications will occur through, or at the control of, the groupcommunication computer device 32. All data packets of the devices do notnecessarily have to travel through the group communication computerdevice 32 itself, but the group communication computer device 32 must beable to ultimately control the communication because it will typicallybe the only server-side 30 component that is aware of and/or canretrieve the identity of the members of the communication group, ordirect the identity of the members of the communication group 12 toanother computer device

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of the wirelesstelecommunication device being a mobile telephone 14 with a PTT button78 that opens the direct communication to a target set of devices, i.e.other members of the communication group 12. Other devices and methodscan be alternately used to engage in a PTT communication, such as a“soft key” on a touch screen display, voice command, or other methods asknown in the art. The wireless device 14 is also shown as having agraphics display 80 to the user of the wireless device 14. The wirelessdevice 14 includes a computer platform 82 that can handle voice and datapackets, and receive and execute software applications transmittedacross the wireless network 20 to include the group-directed media. Thecomputer platform 82 includes, among other components, anapplication-specific integrated circuit (“ASIC”) 84, or other processor,microprocessor, logic circuit, programmable gate array, or other dataprocessing device. The ASIC 84 is installed at the time of manufactureof the wireless device and is not normally upgradeable. The ASIC 84 orother processor executes an application programming interface (“API”)layer 86, which includes the resident application environment, and caninclude the operating system loaded on the ASIC 84. The residentapplication environment interfaces with any resident programs in thememory 88 of the wireless device. An example of a resident applicationenvironment is the “binary runtime environment for wireless” (BREW)software developed by QUALCOMM® for wireless device platforms.

As shown here, the wireless device can be a mobile telephone 14, with agraphics display 80, but can also be any wireless device with a computerplatform 82 as known in the art, such as a personal digital assistant(PDA), a pager with a graphics display 80, or even a separate computerplatform 82 that has a wireless communication portal, and may otherwisehave a wired connection to a network or the Internet. Further, thememory 88 can be comprised of read-only memory (ROM) or random-accessmemory (RAM), erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasableprogrammable ROM (EEPROM), flash cards, or any memory common to computerplatforms. The computer platform 82 can also include a local database 90for storage of software applications not actively used in memory 88. Thelocal database 90 is typically comprised of one or more flash memorycells, but can be any secondary or tertiary storage device as known inthe art, such as magnetic media, EPROM, EEPROM, optical media, tape, orsoft or hard disk. The graphics display 80 can present not onlyinformation about the ongoing group call, but also the information onthe group-directed media, to include a file preview as is more fullydescribed herein.

In this embodiment of the wireless device, the computer platform 82 alsoincludes a direct communication interface 92 that can open the directcommunication channel from the wireless device. The direct communicationinterface 92 can also be part of the standard communication interfacefor the wireless device which ordinarily carries the voice and datatransmitted to and from the wireless device. The direct communicationinterface 92 typically is comprised of hardware as is known in the art.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of one embodiment of the software layers of thegroup application client, with a PTT facility and a group-directed mediafacility. In this embodiment, the computer platform 82 in the mobiledevice environment consists of a series of software “layers” developedon top of the Mobile Station Modem (MSM) 100 and the Advanced MobileSubscriber Software (AMSS) 102, developed by QUALCOMM®, drives theunderlying MSM chipset and implements the software protocol stack forthe entire suite of CDMA communication technologies that includeCDMA2000 1× and CDMA2000 1× EV-DO. There is a mobile operating systemlayer 104, which in this embodiment is BREW®, also developed byQUALCOMM®. The mobile operating system layer 104 application programminginterfaces for chip- or device-specific operations, while providing anisolation layer that eliminates direct contact to the AMSS 100 and anyOEM software on the computer platform. The mobile operating system layer104 enables application development that uses mobile device featureswithout having to rewrite the application each time a new release of thedevice-specific software is released. It should be noted that othersoftware layer configurations can be alternately used on the wirelesscommunication device 14,16,18 computer platform 82, such as a Linux®,Windows®, or other operating system or architecture, to implement thesharing of media as described herein.

The PTT Client 108 is an application that offers access to PTT servicesthrough an external interface, here shown at a PTT-aware user interface(UI) 106. The PTT Client includes all the functions required to enablemobile operating system 104 applications, such as the Group Media Client110. In addition to providing access to PTT services with the PTT Client108, the PTT Client 108 preferably acts as an isolation layer betweenall PTT-aware applications and the interface to the group communicationcomputer device 102. In this embodiment, the PTT Client 108 maintainsaccess to PTT services, responds to group communication requests,processes all PTT-aware mobile operating system applications requestsfor PTT services, processes all outgoing PTT requests, collects andpackages vocoder packets for originating PTT talk spurts, and parsespackets of vocoder data for terminated PTT talk spurts.

The Group Media Client 110 is a mobile operating system-basedapplication that extends PTT services for access to media types otherthan the traditional half duplex voice communications (VoIP-PTT media).The Group Media Client 110 provides access to group-media servicesthrough an external interface, in one embodiment being a separate API,such as a Group Media Aware API. The Group Media Aware UI is anapplication that may be developed entirely as a mobile operatingsystem-based application or used in combination with an AMSS 102interface. The Group Media Aware UI responds to user requests forgroup-directed media services by invoking the appropriate APIs, such asthose from other resident PTT and group media applications 112. TheGroup Media Client 110 services the requests from the user and informsthe user the result of any group-directed media request. The user canalso have setting on the Group Media Client 110, that specify how tohandle an incoming notification that indicates there is a file to bedownloaded from the file management server (data store 36). For example,the Group Media Client 110 can elect to have the file download commenceimmediately or to allow the target user to be prompted to determinewhether to download the file.

Once a user has identified which contacts to include in a PTT groupcommunication, the user selects a media file to transmit. From within UI106, the user can browse to a particular media file or search for aparticular media file. For example, the user can browse to theparticular media file using a hierarchical folder structure or a listingof PTT-able media files. Files within the folders or search results canbe displayed as filenames, thumbnails, icons, etc. The listing can be agallery of thumbnails, for example, representing the various mediafiles.

Each thumbnail, icon, filename, etc. is independently actionable as aPTT press. Once the user selects a media file, it is automaticallytransmitted to the target users as part of a talk spurt. The user mayselect the media file by, for example, touching the thumbnailrepresenting the media file if wireless communication device 14, 16, 18is a touch screen device. Alternatively, the user may press PTT button78 after selecting the media file. Upon selecting the media file, a PTTCall/Floor-request would be sent to the target users with the media fileor a link thereto, as discussed below.

FIG. 5 is a call flow diagram of one embodiment of the establishment ofa PTT communication and a group-directed media transmission betweencommunication group member wireless communication devices. Resident on acommunicating wireless device 14,16,18, a Group Media Client 130requests that the PTT Client 132 establish a direct PTT call to sharegroup-directed media and voice with the target device, shown here ashaving resident PTT Client 138 and Group Media Client 140. As shown, theGroup Media Client indicates that the same floor control mechanism canbe used for both the voice media and the group-directed media. The GroupMedia Client 130 determines that data can be shared during subsequenttalk bursts from the PTT usage, and thus, there is a single floorcontrol mechanism used for both the voice call and the sharing of thegroup-directed media. The Group Media Client 130 requests that the PTTClient 132 establish a PTT direct call with the target user and includea group-directed media type to the PTT call. The call setup request cancontain, for instance, the target user address, the Group Mediaapplication ID, the media type, and an indication that thegroup-directed media data is to be shared using the same floor controlmechanism as the PTT call. The call setup request may also be sent witha DataOverSignaling Access channel message. The Dispatch Call Handler(DCH) 134 performs the PTT call setup functions, including locating thetarget, applying call restrictions, selecting a vocoder and assigningMedia Control Unit (MCU) 136 resourced. In addition, the DCH 134verifies that the target client can support the group-directed mediatype. Then the DCH 134 notifies the target member that a PTT call isbeing established with group-media data included.

The target PTT Client 138 verifies that the target user is available toparticipate in the call and that the Group Media Client 140 associatedwith the group-directed media application ID is present on the targetclient device. The target PTT Client 138 sends an acknowledgement to theDCH 134 indicating that the call has been accepted. Once theacknowledgement is received from the target PTT Client 138, the DCH 134sends a floor grant message to the originating PTT Client 132, whichindicates the call is being established and the PTT Client 132 can startcollecting media. The PTT Client 132 notifies the Group Media Client 130that the call setup was successful and group-directed media can be sent.The PTT Client 132 also notifies the user that the user can beginspeaking. The PTT Client 132 collects and buffers both the voice media(the user's talk spurt) and the group-directed media that is receivedfrom the group Media Client 130. Once the MCU 136 contact informationmessage is received and acknowledged by the originating PTT Client 132,the buffered media is sent to the MCU 136. The MCU 136 waits for thetarget PTT Client's 138 acknowledgment of the MCU 136 contactinformation message prior to forwarding the media to the target. Whenthe target PTT Client 138 receives the media, it may filter the mediabased on the synchronization source (SSRC) and payload type to processthe PTT media correctly. The group-directed media is forwarded to theGroup Media Client 140, which may also be responsible for processingthat data.

FIG. 6 is a call flow diagram of one embodiment of the group-directedmedia transmission occurring during a shared floor as the PTT client onthe transmitting wireless communication device. A Group Media Client 150requests to share a group-directed media with PTT call participantsusing the same floor control mechanism as the PTT call, one memberdevice shown as having resident PTT Client 156 and Group Media Client158. The group-directed media is sent in conjunction with the voicemedia during a PTT talk spurt. The Group Media Client 150 requestspermission to talk and send data at the same time. In this scenario, theuser is participating in a PTT call, and the user performs a function tothe Group Media Client 150 that results in the Group Media Client 150requesting to share data with the PTT call participants. The Group MediaClient 150 determines that the data can be shared during a subsequenttalk bust from the user. That is, there is only a single floor controlmechanism that is used for both the PTT call and the sharing ofgroup-directed media.

The Group Media Client 150 requests the PTT Client 152 to addgroup-directed media to the existing PTT call. The add-media requestcontains an indication that the data is to be shared using the samefloor control mechanism as the PTT Client 152. The PTT Client 152requests the MCU 154 to add a new media type to the existing call. TheMCU 154 verifies that the PTT call participants can support the newmedia type, e.g. contacts Group Media Client 158, and notifies the callparticipants that a new media type is being added to the PTT call. Afterthe new media type has been successfully added to the PTT call, the user(Group Media Client 150) can request permission to talk and sendgroup-directed media at the same time. The Group Media Client 150notifies the PTT Client 152 that a group-directed media request has beenreceived. The PTT Client 152 requests permission to talk and sendgroup-directed media from the MCU 154. The MCU 154 verifies the floor isavailable prior to granting the floor request. The PTT Client 152notifies the Group Media Client 150 that the floor request was granted.

FIG. 7 is a call flow diagram of one embodiment of the group-directedmedia transmission occurring on a different floor from the PTT client onthe transmitting wireless communication device. The Group Media Client160 requests to share group-directed media with PTT call participantsusing a different floor control mechanism than the PTT call. Thegroup-directed media is accordingly sent independently of the voicemedia. The user must request permission to send data any time there isdata that is ready to be shared with the PTT call participants. In thisscenario, the user is participating in a PTT call and performs afunction on the Group Media Client 160 that results in the Group MediaClient 160 requesting to share data with the PTT call participants. TheGroup Media Client 160 determines that the data is intended to be sharedusing a separate floor control mechanism than the PTT call, i.e.independent of the floor control mechanism being used for the PTT call.

The Group Control Client 160 requests that the PTT Client 162 add a newmedia type to the existing PTT call. The add media requests contains anindication that the data is to be shared using a different floor controlmechanism than the PTT call. The PTT Client 162 requests the MCU 164 toadd a new media type to the existing call. The MCU 164 verifies that allof the call participants can support the new media type and notifies thecall participants that a new media type is being added to the call. Inthis embodiment, the notification to the call participants contains afloor identifier for the group-directed media floor, in addition to anew destination port number on the MCU 164 for the distribution of thegroup-directed media. The PTT Client 166 of the target device assigns anew media port for sending or receiving group-directed media and sendsthe new port identifier in the acknowledgement to the MCU 164.

When the PTT Client 166 receives the request to add new media, the PTTClient 166 verifies that the application associated with the group mediaapplication ID is available on the client. If the Group Media Client 168associated with the group media application ID is already active on theclient, the PTT Client 166 sends a notification to the Group MediaClient 168 that media was added to an existing PTT call. If theapplication associated with the group media application ID is notalready active on the target client, the PTT Client 166 requests themobile operating system to start the appropriate application and thennotifies the Group Media Client 168 to prepare for incominggroup-directed media.

After the new media type is successfully added to the PTT call, the usercan request permission to send group-directed media. The Group MediaClient 160 notifies the PTT Client 162 that a group-directed media sendrequest has been received. The PTT Client requests permission to sendgroup directed media from the MCU 164. The PTT request from the PTTClient 162 contains the floor identifier assigned to the group-directedmedia floor. The MCU 164 verifies the data floor is available prior togranting the floor request. The PTT Client 162 notifies the Group MediaClient 160 that the floor request was granted.

FIG. 8 is a call flow diagram of one embodiment of the systemestablishing immediate group-directed media transmission to multipletarget devices across the wireless communication network. In FIG. 8, auser has requested immediate distribution of group-directed media tomultiple target users. The group-directed media does not exceed theoperator-defined data distribution limit and therefore, it canimmediately be provided to the target endpoints. In this embodiment, theuser selects a list of target users to which group-directed media is tobe delivered. The user has also requested, at the Group Media Client170, immediate delivery of the group-directed media to the targets. ThePTT Client 172 examines the delivery option specified in the request anddetermines that the data is required to be immediately delivered. TheGroup Media Client 170 compares the size of the group-directed data tomake sure that it is within the operator-defined limit. Because the sizeis less than the data distribution limit, the Group Media Client 170requests that the PTT Client 172 distribute the data to the targets. ThePTT Client 172 verifies the data is small enough to fit into a UDP MTUcontaining the appropriate signaling headers and the group-directedmedia. The PTT Client 172 requests the DCH 174 to send an incoming datanotification containing the group-directed media to the specifiedtargets.

The DCH 174 locates each of targets in the target list and formulates anincoming data notification for each target. The group-directed media isembedded in the notification. The DCH 174 sends the notification to eachtarget. For targets that are registered on the local carrier network,Local Gateway 180, the notification is sent directly to the PTT Client176 at the target. For targets that are registered on a foreign carriernetwork, the notification may be sent to the Foreign Regional Gateway182, which in turn converts the notification into a session initiationprotocol (SIP) Message method and the group-directed media is includedin the body of the SIP Message. Each target determines whether to acceptor reject the incoming data notification. The notification may berejected if the Group Media Client 178 target client cannot process thegroup-directed media or the target user has placed a communicationrestriction on the originator of the data distribution request.

In FIG. 8, the notification is assumed to be accepted by the targets.Because at least one target received the notification successfully, theoriginator is notified that the group directed distribution wassuccessful. Alternatively, the originator can be notified of whichtargets received the notification and which did not. When the PTT Client176 receives the notification with the group-directed media, the PTTClient 176 examines the group media application ID, which indicates theapplication that is to receive the group-directed media. If theapplication associated with the group media application ID is alreadyactive on the client, the PTT Client 176 forwards the group-directedmedia to the application. If the application associated with the groupmedia application ID is not already active on the client, the PTT Clientrequests the mobile operating system to start the Group Media Client 178and then forwards the group-directed media. For targets that do notsupport processing the group-directed media data type, the DCH 174 willnot distribute the incoming data notification to targets that areincapable of processing the group-directed media contained in themessage. Optionally, the DCH 174 will remove the group-directed mediafrom the incoming data notification and send the revised notification tothe targets that do not support the data type.

It should also be noted that Foreign Regional Gateway 182 with anothercomputer device, such as desktop which could have a PTT client residentthereupon. The signaling between the Local Gateway 180 and the ForeignRegional Gateway 182 could be the same as the signaling between a LocalGateway 180 and the PC-Based client, such as a Windows based client at adesktop, laptop, or other computer platform, that could also have awired connection to the Internet or other gateway. However, the residentPTT Client at such computer platform is required to handle thehalf-duplex communications in the group communication environment.

FIG. 9 is a call flow diagram of one embodiment of the distribution totarget members of a file preview of a group-directed media. A user hasrequested immediate distribution of a file to multiple target users.Here, the file exceeded the operator-defined data distribution limit andtherefore, it cannot immediately be distributed to the targets. However,a preview of the file can be distributed to the targets immediately.Therefore, the file is stored at the FMS 192 and then truncated orreduced to provide a preview of the file to the target recipients. Thepreview portion of the file is part of the incoming data notification tothe targets. The preview can be a small picture, such as a thumbnail, ora portion of the file name, or can be the file type extension, e.g..mov, .tif, .ppt, such that the target can determine in the firstinstance if they want to download media of that type.

In this embodiment, the user selects a list of target users to which thegroup-directed media is to be delivered. In this scenario, thegroup-directed media selected is a large file. The user has alsorequested immediate delivery of the group-directed media to the targets.The Group Media Client 190 examines the delivery option specified in therequest from the user and determines that the file is required to bedelivered immediately. The Group Media Client 190 compares the size ofthe file with the operator-defined data distribution limit. Because thefile size exceeds the data distribution limit, the Group Media Client190 contacts the FMS 192 (data store) to store the file with the targetlist. After the Group Media Client 190 has successfully stored the fileat the FMS 192, the Group Media Client 190 creates a preview of theoriginal file. The Group Media Client 190 then requests the PTT Client194 to deliver the preview of the group-directed media file and the filedescriptor to the specified list of targets.

The PTT Client 194 verifies the preview data is small enough to fit intoa UDP MTU containing the appropriate signaling header and thegroup-direct media preview. The PTT Client 194 requests that the DCH 196send an incoming data notification containing the preview and the filedescriptor to the specified targets. The DCH 196 locates each of thetargets in the target list and formulates an incoming data notificationfor each target. The group-media preview data (preview and the filedescriptor) is embedded in the notification. The DCH 196 sends thenotification to each target. Such notification can also include ahyperlink or other pointer to direct the target to the stored data. Eachtarget determines whether to accept or reject the incoming datanotification. The notification may be rejected if the target user hasplaced a communication restriction on the originator of the datadistribution request. In this scenario, the notification is accepted bythe targets. Because at least one target received the notificationsuccessfully, the originator is notified that notice of thegroup-directed media distribution was successful.

When the PTT Client 198 receives the notification with the preview, thePTT Client 198 examines the group media application ID, which indicatesthe application that is to receive the group-directed media. If theapplication associated with the group media application ID is alreadyactive on the client, the PTT Client 198 forwards the group-directedmedia to the application. If the application associated with theincoming group-directed media application is not already active on theclient, the PTT Client 198 requests the mobile operating system to startthe application and then forwards the group-directed media onto theGroup Media Client 200. When the Group Media Client 200 receives thegroup-directed media, the Group Media Client 200 determines whether todownload the file containing the group-directed media automatically asidentified by the file descriptor in the data or to prompt the user todetermine if they want a download. The Group Media Client 200 can alsodownload the preview file from the FMS 192.

FIG. 10 is a call flow diagram of one embodiment of a file retrieval ofstored group-directed media by a member of the communication group 12 towhich the group-directed media was originally sent. When a Group MediaClient 212 receives a notification from the PTT Client 210 indicatingthat there is a group-directed media available at the FMS 216, the GroupMedia Client 212 determines, based on user settings, whether to downloadthe group-directed media immediately or to notify the Group-DirectedMedia UI 214 that the group-directed media file is available fordownload. In the latter case, the Group-Directed Media UI 214 isresponsible for prompting the user to decide when to download the file.

If the Group Media Client 212 is not configured to download thegroup-directed media file automatically, Group-Directed Media UI 214prompts the user to download the file. When the user decides to downloadthe file, the Group-Directed Media UI 214 notifies the Group MediaClient 212, which proceeds to retrieve the file from the FMS 216. TheFMS 216 verifies the user is on the target list (or file distributionlist) prior to allowing the file download to proceed. It should be notedthat the download of the stored data need not to occur substantiallyinstantaneously or only during a PTT communication, but can occur at thediscretion of the target user. Further, other embodiments may usedifferent methods to determine whether the user is allowed or authorizedto download the file.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of one embodiment of a method at a wirelesscommunication device 14,16,18 to send group-directed media to acommunication group 12. A request is made at the wireless communicationdevice 14,16,18 to send the group-directed media, as shown at step 220,and then a determination is made as to whether the group-directed mediacan be sent directly to members of the group, as shown at decision 222.If the group-directed media cannot be sent directly at decision 222,then the group-directed media is sent to the file management server 224,and the process ends as shown at termination 228. Otherwise, if thegroup-directed media can be sent directly to the other members of thegroup, then the group-directed media is sent to the group communicationcomputer device (server) 32, as shown at step 226, e.g. the groupcommunication computer device will receive and relay the group-directedmedia to the other members of the communication group. It should benoted that the group communication computer device 32 can be the solearbiter of determining how to relay the group-directed media, and thus,no determinations on sending group communication data will occur at thewireless communication device 14,16,18, as it will solely send out thegroup-directed media if an appropriate communication channel isavailable. Then the process ends, as shown at termination 228.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of one embodiment of a group communicationcomputer device 32 receiving and selectively storing or transmittinggroup-directed media. The group communication computer device 32receives a request to send group-directed media from wirelesscommunication device 14,16,18, as shown at step 230, and then adetermination is made as to whether the group members for the sendingwireless communication device can receive the group-directed datadirectly, as shown at decision 232. For any member of the group thatcannot receive the group-directed media, the group-directed media issent to a data store 36, as shown at step 234, and a notice and link tothe stored media is sent to the target wireless device unable todirectly receive the group-directed media that the group-directed mediais stored and awaiting download, as shown at step 236.

Otherwise, for each member of the group who can receive thegroup-directed media at decision 232, a determination is then made as towhether the group-directed media is too large to be directly sent, asshown at decision 238. If the media is too large at 238, thegroup-directed media is sent to the data store 36, as shown at step 234,and the notice and link are sent to the target device as shown at step236. Otherwise, if the media is not too large to send at decision 238, adetermination is made as to whether the media is a correct type to sendto the target member, as shown at decision 240. If the media is not atype known as receivable by the target device, then the group-directedmedia is stored at the data store 36 (step 234) and notice and link sentto the target device (step 236). Otherwise, if the group-directed mediais of a type that can be received by the target member, thegroup-directed media is sent to the member device(s), as shown at step242. Then the process terminates (termination 244) after thegroup-directed media is sent (step 242) or the notice and link have beensent to the target devices (step 236).

It can be seen that system 10 provide an inventive method for sharingmedia in a group communication among a plurality of wirelesscommunications devices 14,16,18 on a wireless communication network 20,that in one embodiment, includes receiving at a group communicationcomputer device 32 group-directed media sent from a wirelesscommunication device 14,16,18 to other members of the communicationgroup 12. In one embodiment, the group communication computer device 32stores information including the member wireless communication devicesof one or more communication groups, and sending the group-directedmedia from the group communication computer device 32 to one or more ofthe other member wireless communication devices of the communicationgroup 12 for the sending wireless communication device 14,16,18. If thesystem 10 is embodied as including a data store 36 (such file managementserver 192) which is in communication with the group communicationcomputer device 32, the method further includes sending thegroup-directed media from group communication computer device 32 to thedata store 32, the receiving the group-designated media from thewireless communication device 14,16,18 at the data store, andselectively permitting members of the communication group for which thegroup-directed media is being sent to access the stored group-directedmedia across the wireless communication network 20.

In one embodiment, the method can include sending communication groupidentification data from the wireless communication device 14,16,18 tothe group communication computer device 32, and then sending thegroup-directed media from the group communication device 32 to themember wireless communication devices identified in the communicationgroup identification data. Alternately, the wireless communicationdevice 14,16,18 can request member data for a communication group fromthe group communication computer device 32 prior to a wirelesscommunication device sending group-directed media, and sendingcommunication group identification data from the group communicationcomputer device 32 to the requesting wireless communication device14,16,18.

The sending of the group-directed media can occur either during a groupcommunication with the member wireless communication devices of thecommunication group 12, or can occur outside the group communication, asis shown in FIG. 7. Further, the method can involve multipledeterminations of whether or not to send the group-directed media basedupon the size of the data, the ability of the target to view the data,or the type of data being sent, such as a link to an interactivecomputer session or other application. The method can also include, uponreceipt of the group-directed media by at least one of the memberwireless devices of the communication group 12, sending anacknowledgement that at least one member wireless communication deviceof the communication group 12 received the group-directed media to thewireless communication device sending the group-directed media, such asshown in FIGS. 8 and 9.

When the members of a PTT group communication wish to discuss two ormore previously transmitted media files, the members would typicallyhave to explain to which file they are referring (e.g. “the first one Isent to you” or “the second one I sent”). An embodiment provides aconvenient way to reference media files during a PTT groupcommunication. The media files may be pre-shared before the start of aPTT group communication or a talk spurt or shared during the groupcommunication or the talk spurt.

An embodiment provides an index of the group communication that linksshared media files to the corresponding talk spurt. The index may bepresented as a timeline, a gallery, a conversation thread, etc. Forexample, if the index is presented as a timeline, each talk spurt can beassociated with one or more timestamps indicating the start, end, and/orduration of the talk spurt. Each entry, whether or not associated with amedia file, can also include additional ways to identify the talk spurt,such as the name or username of the speaker, the first few words of thetalk spurt (as generated by a speech-to-text converter), the role of thespeaker, etc. If a media file is transmitted during a talk spurt, theindex entry for that talk spurt would display an indication of the mediafile, such as the filename, URL, preview, etc. The entry could alsoinclude other metadata for the media file, such as the title,description, size, type, length, date taken, date modified, etc.

If the index is presented as a gallery, each transmitted media file canbe represented by a preview of the media file. Each preview can beassociated with various metadata for the media file, such as thefilename, URL, title, description, size, type, etc. In an embodiment,the gallery would only include previews of transmitted media files.Alternatively, the gallery can include previews representing each talkspurt, whether or not associated with a transmitted media file. In thatcase, a talk spurt without a corresponding media file could be displayedas an icon representing the speaker. For instance, some or all of thegroup members may have specific icons to represent themselves in a groupcommunication. For those that do not, a generic icon could be used. Fortalk spurts associated with media files, the gallery can display onlythe preview of the media file, both the preview of the media file andthe speaker's icon, or some combination of the preview of the media fileand the speaker's icon.

The index can also be presented as a threaded conversation, which hasaspects of both the timeline and gallery views. In a threadedconversation, the identity of the speaker and/or the topic of the talkspurt would be the primary organizing factor rather than the time of thetalk spurt. For example, as described below, when a member responds to apreviously transmitted talk spurt, rather than adding the new talk spurtto the index as its own entry, it would be added as a sub-entry to thepreviously transmitted talk spurt. Alternatively, all talk spurts from agiven member can be grouped together. Also, rather than just the firstfew words of each talk spurt, each entry could include a larger portionof the talk spurt, or even the entire talk spurt, converted to text.Further, each entry can display an icon of the speaker, and entriesassociated with a media file can display a preview of the media file andany metadata available and/or desired.

It is apparent that there are many possibilities for the presentation oftalk spurts and media files within the scope of the embodiments.Likewise, there are many possible combinations of the features of thetimeline, gallery, and threaded views within the scope of theembodiments. Each member of the group communication may choose theirpreferred set of options, or a leader or moderator of the groupcommunication may set the options for a particular group communication.

Before any talk spurts have been transmitted, the index may simplydisplay a welcome message and/or details about the call, such as thenumber of members, the identity of the members, the identity of theorganizer, etc. As talk spurts are generated, they are added to theindex. In an embodiment, a leader or moderator of a PTT groupcommunication may wish to share one or more media files with members ofthe PTT group for discussion during the group communication. In thatcase, the leader or moderator can transmit the one or more media filesbefore or at the start of the group communication, as discussed belowwith reference to FIGS. 13-18. In that case, the initial index willalready be populated with entries for those media files, and the groupmembers will be able to refer to them immediately.

If one or more media files are too large to be immediately distributedto the targets at the beginning of a group communication, as discussedabove with reference to FIG. 9, the media files can be buffered at thePTT server and even distributed to the targets in advance so that theyare available at the beginning of the group communication, as discussedbelow with reference to FIGS. 13-18. Additionally, if the media filesharing uses a different floor control mechanism than the PTT groupcommunication, as discussed above with reference to FIG. 7, then amember that knows they will be transmitting a media file that is toolarge to be immediately distributed can request transmission of themedia file before they request the floor for a talk spurt, as discussedbelow with reference to FIGS. 13-18. In that way, the media file will beavailable when the member gains the floor to speak.

In an alternative embodiment, if the media file is large, the speakerwould not lose the floor until the media file had successfullytransmitted, even if the speaker released the PTT button. Alternatively,transmission of the media file could stop when the speaker relinquishesthe floor and resume when the speaker reacquires the floor. Thesealternatives can be determined by a leader or moderator of the groupcommunication, if present. For example, the leader or moderator couldsetup the group communication such that high priority speakers would beensured transmission of their media files while low priority speakerscould only transmit during their talk spurt.

In an embodiment, the index of the group communication can be stored,locally or remotely, for future reference. Additionally, the index maybe transmitted as a media file in a later group communication so that ittoo can be referred to during that group communication. In anembodiment, the index of the previous group communication can beappended to the index of the later group communication as talk spurtsthat occurred before the first talk spurt of the later groupcommunication, thus permitting those talk spurts to be referred to as ifthey had occurred during the later group communication. Alternatively,the index of the previous group communication can be integrated into theindex of the later group communication as a sub-entry of the talk spurtduring which the index was transmitted.

In an embodiment, the entries of the index can be augmented withmetadata describing the entry. The metadata can be added manually orautomatically as the entry is generated, after the entry is added to theindex, or at some time after the group communication ends. Some metadatahas already been described, such as the name or username of the speaker,the start and end times of the talk spurt, and duration of the talkspurt, the title, filename, URL, size, type, etc. of any associatedmedia file, etc. Other metadata can be generated by parsing the talkspurt. For example, talk spurts can be parsed to determine the type ofcontent, such as whether the talk spurt is a question, a response, aninstruction, chatter, or a greeting.

A user can sort or filter an index, or even an ongoing conversation,based on the metadata if the metadata is generated in real-time. Forexample, a user can sort or filter the index by the identity of thespeaker, by which talk spurts include media files, by the start time ofthe talk spurt, etc. If the metadata is generated in real time, a usercan filter out (i.e. prevent from being added to the index oftransmitted) “chatter” talk spurts or talk spurts that don't includemedia files, show only instructional talk spurts, etc. The user can alsoopt to be notified about a talk spurt based on its metadata. Forexample, a user may wish to be notified when a talk spurt is a question.

If the index is being generated at UE 14,16,18, individual users cancontrol which metadata is generated or identified. In that case, eachuser will have a different index at the end of the group communication.Alternatively, the group leader can determine which metadata should begenerated and transmit that information as part of the setup for thegroup communication. The group leader can also determine which metadatato track if the index is generated remotely. Alternatively, a systemadministrator can make the determination.

On the target side, UI 106 plays the incoming talk spurt anddisplays/plays the media file that the speaker had selected (or apreview, or a placeholder if the media file is still in transit), asdiscussed below with reference to FIGS. 13-18. UI 106 can display/playreceived media files in a full-screen view during the talk spurt. Duringtalk spurts that are not associated with a media file, UI 106 candisplay the last media file, a home screen for the group communication,an icon of the speaker, an index view of the group communication (suchas the timeline, gallery, or threaded view), etc. Alternatively, UI 106can initially display received media files in the index view, giving thetarget the option to ignore the media file or select it fordisplaying/playing in a full-screen view.

Upon each floor transition, the floor-requester can select a differentmedia file, causing an update at each target of the media file beingdisplayed to the one that the new speaker has selected. Since thespeaker can see an index view of the group communication, the speakercan refer back to a previously transmitted media file by selecting it inthe index view. If the current speaker selects a media file that waspreviously transmitted, whether by that speaker or another, the mediafile does not need to be retransmitted. Rather, if a target has chosento display received media files in a full-screen view, the previouslytransmitted media file is simply redisplayed. If a target has chosen todisplay received media files in an index view, the previouslytransmitted media file can be visually highlighted to show that it isthe one to which the speaker is referring. The target may then selectthe media file to be displayed in a full-screen view. In this way, thespeaker and listener(s) are automatically kept in alignment regarding towhich media file the speaker is referring, and there is no need tocommunicate that information manually.

In a group communication, it can be difficult to gain the floor, as onemember may acquire the floor ahead of others who wish to respond to aparticular talk spurt. It may be several minutes and/or several talkspurts later before a member can acquire the floor, and the flow of theconversation may have moved in another direction, so that the point themember was going to make would disrupt the flow of the conversation. Anembodiment permits members to refer back to particular talk spurts, notjust particular media files.

In an embodiment, when a member wishes to respond to one or more talkspurts but cannot acquire the floor, the member can flag the talkspurt(s) for later reference. For example, the member can mark the talkspurt(s) through a touch, audible, physical, or key-based action onwireless communication device 14, 16, 18. Additionally, if the membertries to respond to the talk spurt rather than immediately marking itfor a response but cannot acquire the floor, the member can be promptedto “remember” the talk spurt for response at a later time. Further, themember need not flag a talk spurt immediately. Rather, the member canflag earlier talk spurt(s) as a reminder to respond to them when he orshe acquires the floor.

When the member finally acquires the floor, the member has an optionwithin UI 106 to identify a previous talk spurt to which he or shewishes to respond. The member can select one of the flagged talk spurtsor an unflagged talk spurt. The member can select multiple talk spurtsat one time, or select multiple talk spurts one at a time over thecourse of that member's talk spurt.

The UIs of the target devices identify the selected talk spurt by, forexample, highlighting it in an index view, replaying all or a portion ofit, displaying the index entry for the talk spurt in a full-screen view,etc. If a target is in an index view of the group communication and theprevious talk spurt is highlighted but not replayed, for example, thetarget can tap the visual representation of the previous talk spurt tolisten to a few seconds of it or to retrieve/display a speech-to-textconversion of it. The speaker may also mandate this briefreplay/speech-to-text option to emphasize to the group the context inwhich he or she will be responding. These various options can be set byeach member through UI 106 or mandated by a leader or moderator of thegroup communication.

When a speaker refers to a previous talk spurt as just described, thecurrent talk spurt can be added as the next entry in the index as itnormally would be, or it can be added as a sub-entry under the talkspurt to which the speaker is referring, much like a threadedconversation. The speaker may decide how the talk spurt should be addedto the index, or it may be decided by the leader or moderator. It mayalso depend on the type of index employed.

An embodiment integrates the location of the members of the groupcommunication. In an embodiment, a speaker can send talk spurts and/ormedia files only to certain members of the communication group based ontheir location. For example, the speaker can transmit talk spurts and/ormedia files to nearby members, or to all members in a given city, state,or country. In an embodiment, talk spurts and/or media files can beindexed by the location of the sender, or the location at which themedia file was generated. For example, an image of the Grand Canyon maybe geo-tagged, and the entry for the image can be indexed according tothat location.

In an embodiment, a member may be given priority for acquiring the floorand/or transmitting a media file based on his or her location at a placeof interest. For example, a member at the Grand Canyon that is talkingto the other members of the communication group about the Grand Canyoncan be given priority to transmit images of the Grand Canyon.

In an embodiment, if a member arrives at a given location or crosses agiven geo-fence, a talk spurt can be automatically generated andtransmitted to the group indicating that the member has arrived at thelocation or crossed the geo-fence. Additionally, a map of the locationor geo-fence can be transmitted as a media file, with the member'slocation marked on the map. Further, the member can receive an automatedtalk spurt welcoming him or her to the location or geo-fenced area. Theautomated talk spurt may provide other information as well, such asinformation about the location or geo-fenced area.

In an embodiment, the media file being shared can be a map, and eachtime the user sharing the map presses it and/or transmits a talk spurt,a spot on the map representing the location of the user is updated,indicating the current location of the user. Similarly, the media filecan be a picture of a geographic location, and each time the usersharing the picture presses it and/or transmits a talk spurt, a spot onthe picture representing the location of the user is updated, indicatingthe current location of the user within the picture. The location of theuser with respect to the map can be transmitted as x-y coordinates orgeographic coordinates. The location of the user with respect to thepicture can be transmitted as x-y coordinates of the picture. In thisway, not only are target group members automatically shown the pictureor map to which the speaker is referring, but a specific location on thepicture or map.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of an exemplary group communication in whichmedia files are pre-shared before a group call is setup. In FIG. 13, PTTclients 310, 312, and 314 form a PTT group. At 1305, the user of PTTclient 310 opens a gallery of media files A, B, C, and D, for example,and selects media files A, C, and D to pre-share with the rest of thePTT group (i.e. PTT clients 312 and 314). Alternatively, the user mayselect a subset of the PTT group with which to share the media files.PTT client 310 then transmits the selected media files to PTT server316. At 1310, PTT server 316 silently transmits the selected media filesto PTT clients 312 and 314. At 1315, the user of PTT client 312 opens agallery of media files J, K, L, and M, for example, and selects mediafiles M and J to pre-share with the PTT group. PTT client 312 thentransmits the selected media files to PTT server 316. At 1320, PTTserver 316 silently transmits the selected media files to PTT clients310 and 314.

At 1325, PTT client 310 silently receives media files M and J and storesthem in temporary storage. PTT client 310 does not silently receivemedia files A, C, and D because they are already stored on PTT client310. Silently receiving media files means that the media files arereceived in a background mode and not shown to the user, and as such theuser may not even know that the files are on the PTT client. The mediafiles are simply pre-shared for fast rendering if and when a PTT callarrives. At 1330, PTT client 312 silently receives media files A, C, andD and stores them in temporary storage. At 1335, PTT client 314 silentlyreceives media files A, C, D, M, and J and stores them in temporarystorage.

At 1340, the user of PTT client 310 presses an on-screen representationof media file C (already pre-shared) as if it were a PTT button to starta PTT group call. In the embodiment of FIG. 13, pressing therepresentation of media file C causes PTT client 310 to transmit a PTTcall start request at 1345. Alternatively, however, the request may be afloor request if the group call is already in progress. The requestincludes an index or other reference to media file C. Alternatively, theindex or reference can be sent independently of the PTT call start orfloor request.

At 1350, after the group call has been setup, PTT server 316 transmitsan indication of the call start or floor grant to PTT clients 312 and314, including the index or reference to media file C. At 1355, PTTclient 312 determines whether media file C is stored in its localstorage. If it is, as illustrated in FIG. 13, then at 1360, PTT client312 immediately transitions its UI to display (or play) media file C.

At 1365, PTT client 314 determines whether media file C is stored in itslocal storage. If it is not, as illustrated in FIG. 13, then at 1370,PTT client 314 requests media file C from PTT server 316. There are anumber of reasons PTT client 314 may not have media file C stored in itslocal storage, such as transmission delays, dropped connections, lostpackets, insufficient download time, etc. At 1375, PTT client 316retransmits media file C to the requesting group members (here, PTTclient 314). Alternatively, if PTT client 316 has not yet transmittedmedia file C to the requesting group members, PTT client 316 transmitsmedia file C at this time.

At 1380, upon receiving media file C, PTT client 314 immediatelytransitions its UI to display (or play) media file C. PTT clients 312and 314 may render media file C fully, partially, or merely a referenceto it, such as a URL or thumbnail. Accordingly, the users of PTT clients312 and 314 will know and be able to see to which media file the user ofPTT client 310 is referring during that user's talk spurt.

PTT clients 312 and 314 may present an option to save media file C,either during or after the talk spurt or at the end of the PTT groupcall. If a user selects to save media file C, that PTT client will movethe media file from temporary storage to permanent storage.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart of an exemplary group communication in whichmedia files are pre-shared before a group call is setup. Specifically,FIG. 14 illustrates additional aspects of the pre-sharing embodiment. InFIG. 14, PTT clients 310, 312, and 314 form a PTT group. At 1405, theuser of PTT client 310 opens a gallery of media files and selects mediafile X to pre-share with the rest of the PTT group (i.e. PTT clients 312and 314). PTT client 310 then silently transmits media file X and athumbnail representing media file X to PTT clients 312 and 314 via thePTT server (not shown). At 1410 and 1415, PTT clients 312 and 314 beginsilently receiving and temporarily storing media file X and itsthumbnail.

At 1420, the user of PTT client 310 presses an on-screen representationof media file X as if it were a PTT button to start a PTT group call orsend a floor request. The request includes an index or other referenceto media file X, as disclosed with reference to FIG. 13.

At 1425 and 1430, after the PTT call has been setup, PTT clients 312 and314 begin receiving the talk spurt referencing media file X from theuser of PTT client 310. At 1435 and 1440, PTT clients 312 and 314determine whether or not media file X has been fully received. If ithas, then at 1445 and 1450, PTT clients 312 and 314 immediatelytransition their UIs to display (or play) media file X. If it has not,then at 1455 and 1460, PTT clients 312 and 314 render a partial versionor placeholder for media file X or its thumbnail. If media file X isfully received during the talk spurt, PTT clients 312 and 314 willimmediately display and/or play it. While 1410-1415 and 1425-1460 havebeen discussed as occurring in parallel, it is apparent that they occurindependently at PTT clients 312 and 314.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of an exemplary group communication in whichmedia files are not pre-shared before a group call is setup. In FIG. 15,PTT clients 310, 312, and 314 form a PTT group. At 1505, the user of PTTclient 310 opens a gallery of media files and selects media file X toshare with the rest of the PTT group (i.e. PTT clients 312 and 314). Theuser then presses an on-screen representation of media file X as if itwere a PTT button to start a PTT group call. At 1510, PTT client 310transmits the PTT call start request and a representation of media fileX to PTT clients 312 and 314 via the PTT server (not shown). Therepresentation includes a reference to media file X, such as a filenameor URL, and one of a text description of media file X, an iconrepresenting the type of media file, or a thumbnail representing mediafile X.

At 1515 and 1520, PTT clients 312 and 314 receive the PTT call/grant andthe representation of media file X. At 1525 and 1530, PTT clients 312and 314 transition their UIs to display an “in-call screen” including aplaceholder for media file X. The placeholder may include the referenceto media file X and the text description, icon, or thumbnail of mediafile X.

At 1535, after the PTT signaling and audio streaming begins, PTT client310 begins transmitting media file X to PTT clients 312 and 314 via thePTT server. At 1540 and 1545, PTT clients 312 and 314 begin receivingmedia file X. At 1550 and 1555, after media file X has been fullyreceived, PTT clients 312 and 314 replace the placeholder for media fileX with media file X. While 1515-1530 and 1540-1555 have been discussedas occurring in parallel, it is apparent that they occur independentlyat PTT clients 312 and 314.

FIG. 16 is a flowchart of an exemplary group communication in whichmedia files are shared before or during a group call is setup.Specifically, FIG. 16 illustrates additional aspects of the data beingshared. In FIG. 16, PTT clients 310, 312, and 314 form a PTT group. At1605, the user of PTT client 310 opens a gallery of media files andselects media file X to (pre-)share with the rest of the PTT group (i.e.PTT clients 312 and 314). At 1610, PTT client 310 generates a reducedversion of media file X. Specifically, PTT client 310 determines whatalternative information and/or reduced configurations are or could beassociated with media file X. Such data may include, but is not limitedto, a reference to media file X, a text description of media file X, anicon or thumbnail representing media file X, a cropped version of mediafile X, a lower resolution version of media file X, a lower resolutioncropped version of media file X, or a progressive version of media fileX, such as a progressive Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) image.PTT client 310 then creates a prioritized list of this data arranged bysize and/or preferences of the user or PTT application. For example, atext description is likely less data than a low resolution version ofmedia file X, but the user or PTT application may prefer to alwaysassign the highest priority to the low resolution version. Further, if acertain data type is not available, PTT client 310 may have to usewhatever is available. For example, media file X may not have a textdescription, so PTT client 310 will send a thumbnail instead.

At 1615, PTT client 310 transmits the smaller and/or higher prioritydata about media file X to PTT clients 312 and 314 via the PTT server(not shown). At 1620 and 1625, PTT clients 312 and 314 receive thisdata. At 1630, PTT client 310 transmits the next smallest and/or highestpriority data about media file X to PTT clients 312 and 314 via the PTTserver. At 1635 and 1640, PTT clients 312 and 314 receive this data. At1645 and 1650, PTT clients 312 and 314 update the previously stored dataabout media file X with the newly received data. PTT clients 312 and 314now have a better representation of media file X.

At 1655, PTT client 310 transmits media file X. At 1660 and 1665, PTTclients 312 and 314 receive media file X. While 1620-1625, 1635-1650,and 1660-1665 have been discussed as occurring in parallel, it isapparent that they occur independently at PTT clients 312 and 314.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart of an exemplary group communication in whichmedia files are shared before a group call is setup and a subsequenttalk spurts refers to a previously shared media file, such that themedia file does not need to be shared before or during the subsequenttalk spurt. At 1705, a group call is in-progress between PTT clients310, 312, and 314 and media files X, Y, and Z have been provisioned tothe group members. At 1710, PTT client 310 obtains the floor and selectsmedia file X to start a PTT talk spurt. At 1715, PTT client 310transmits the talk spurt and an index or other reference to media fileX. At 1720 and 1725, upon receiving the index to media file X, PTTclients 312 and 314, respectively, transition their UEs to display (orplay) media file X.

At 1730, PTT client 314 obtains the floor and selects media file Y tostart a PTT talk spurt. At 1735, PTT client 314 transmits the talk spurtand an index or other reference to media file Y. At 1740 and 1745, uponreceiving the index to media file Y, PTT clients 310 and 312,respectively, transition their UEs to display (or play) media file Y.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart of exemplary first and second groupcommunications, where media files are shared before the first groupcommunication and therefore do not need to be shared before the secondgroup communication. At 1805, media files X, Y, and Z are provisioned tothe group members, here PTT clients 310, 312, and 314. At 1810, the userof PTT client 310 presses an on-screen representation of media file X(already pre-shared) as if it were a PTT button to start a PTT groupcall. In the embodiment of FIG. 18, pressing the representation of mediafile X causes PTT client 310 to transmit, at 1815, a PTT call startrequest with an index or other reference to media file X.

At 1820 and 1825, upon receiving the index to media file X, PTT clients312 and 314, respectively, transition their UEs to display (or play)media file X. At 1830, the group call ends.

At 1835, the user of PTT client 314 presses an on-screen representationof media file Y as if it were a PTT button to start a PTT group call. At1840, PTT client 314 determines whether media file Y has already beenprovisioned to the group members of the PTT group call. If it has, as inthe embodiment of FIG. 18, then at 1815, PTT client 314 transmits a PTTcall start request with an index or other reference to media file Y. Ifmedia file Y has not been shared with the group members, or not all ofthe group members, then the PTT server (not shown) shares media file Ywith the group members that do not have it before or at the beginning ofthe group call, as described above.

At 1850 and 1855, upon receiving the index to media file Y, PTT clients310 and 312, respectively, transition their UEs to display (or play)media file Y.

In view of the methods being executable on a mobile device and othercomputer platforms, the method can accordingly be performed by a programresident in a computer readable medium, where the program directs themobile device or other computer device having a computer platform toperform the steps of the method. The computer readable medium can be thememory of the server, or can be in a connective database. Further, thecomputer readable medium can be in a secondary storage media that isloadable onto a wireless communications device computer platform, suchas a magnetic disk or tape, optical disk, hard disk, flash memory, orother storage media as is known in the art.

In one or more exemplary embodiments, the functions described may beimplemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof.If implemented in software, the functions may be stored on ortransmitted over as one or more instructions or code on acomputer-readable medium. Computer-readable media includes both computerstorage media and communication media including any medium thatfacilitates transfer of a computer program from one place to another. Astorage media may be any available media that can be accessed by acomputer. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readablemedia can comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical diskstorage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or anyother medium that can be used to carry or store desired program code inthe form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed bya computer. Also, any connection is properly termed a computer-readablemedium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website,server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable,twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologiessuch as infrared, radio, and microwave, then the coaxial cable, fiberoptic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such asinfrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of medium.Disk and disc, as used herein, includes compact disc (CD), laser disc,optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and blu-ray discwhere disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproducedata optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also beincluded within the scope of computer-readable media.

While the invention has been particularly shown and described withreference to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood bythose skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may bemade without departing from the scope of the present invention as setforth in the following claims. Furthermore, although elements of theinvention may be described or claimed in the singular, the plural iscontemplated unless limitation to the singular is explicitly stated.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for synchronizing media sharing in acommunication group, comprising: transmitting, by a wirelesstelecommunication device, a media file stored on the wirelesstelecommunication device to a member of the communication group beforetransmitting a request to start a group call with the member of thecommunication group; receiving, on the wireless telecommunicationdevice, a selection of the media file stored on the wirelesstelecommunication device, wherein the selection of the media file ismade by a user of the wireless telecommunication device and aftertransmitting the media file to the member of the communication group;and transmitting, by the wireless telecommunication device, a request tostart a group call with the member of the communication group or arequest to acquire a floor of the group call in response to receiving,on the wireless telecommunication device, the selection of the mediafile stored on the wireless telecommunication device.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: transmitting a reference to the selectedmedia file to the member of the communication group in response toreceiving the selection of the media file.
 3. The method of claim 2,wherein the reference is one of a thumbnail representing the selectedmedia file, a uniform resource locator (URL) of the selected media file,a filename of the selected media file, or an index location of theselected media file.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:transmitting an index of the media file.
 5. The method of claim 4,wherein the index is transmitted with the media file.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the group call is a push-to-talk (PTT) call.
 7. Themethod of claim 1, wherein receiving, on the wireless telecommunicationdevice, the selection of the media file stored on the wirelesstelecommunication device comprises detecting that the user has pressed athumbnail representing the media file.
 8. The method of claim 1, whereinthe media file is one of an image, a video, an audio file, a location,or an index from a previous group call.
 9. The method of claim 1,wherein transmitting, by a wireless telecommunication device, the mediafile stored on the wireless telecommunication device is performed by agroup leader of the group call.
 10. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: transmitting a plurality of talk spurts, the plurality oftalk spurts comprising a plurality of media files; and generating aplurality of index entries for the plurality of talk spurts in an indexof previously transmitted talk spurts of the group call.
 11. The methodof claim 10, further comprising: receiving a selection of a talk spurtfrom the index of previously transmitted talk spurts; and transmittingan indication of the selected talk spurt to the one or more members ofthe communication group in response to receiving the selection of thetalk spurt.
 12. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving atalk spurt during the group call; and marking the talk spurt to indicatethat the user wishes to respond to the talk spurt.
 13. The method ofclaim 12, wherein marking the talk spurt comprises marking the talkspurt using a touch, audible, physical, or key-based action.
 14. Themethod of claim 12, further comprising: attempting unsuccessfully toobtain a floor of the group call in response to the talk spurt.
 15. Themethod of claim 14, wherein marking the talk spurt comprises marking thetalk spurt in response to attempting unsuccessfully to obtain a floor ofthe group call.
 16. The method of claim 12, wherein the indicationcomprises an indication that the user is responding to the talk spurt.17. An Apparatus for synchronizing media sharing in a communicationgroup, comprising: a modem configured to communicate via a wirelesscommunication network; and a processor coupled to the modem andconfigured with processor-executable instructions to perform operationscomprising: transmitting a media file stored on the apparatus to amember of the communication group before transmitting a request to starta group call with the member of the communication group; receiving,after transmitting the media file, a selection of the media file storedon the apparatus, wherein the selection of the media file is made by auser of the apparatus; and transmitting, in response to receiving theselection of the media file stored on the apparatus, a request to starta group call with the member of the communication group or a request toacquire a floor of the group call.
 18. The apparatus of claim 17,wherein the processor is configured with processor-executableinstructions to perform operations further comprising: transmitting, inresponse to receiving the selection of the media file, a reference tothe selected media file to the member of the communication group. 19.The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the reference is one of a thumbnailrepresenting the selected media file, a uniform resource locator (URL)of the selected media file, a filename of the selected media file, or anindex location of the selected media file.
 20. The apparatus of claim17, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executableinstructions to perform operations further comprising: transmitting anindex of the media file.
 21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein theindex is transmitted with the media file.
 22. The apparatus of claim 17,wherein the group call is a push-to-talk (PTT) call.
 23. The apparatusof claim 17, wherein the processor is configured withprocessor-executable instructions to perform operations such thatreceiving the selection of the media file stored on the apparatuscomprises detecting that the user has pressed a thumbnail representingthe media file.
 24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the media file isone of an image, a video, an audio file, a location, or an index from aprevious group call.
 25. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein transmittingthe media file stored on the apparatus is performed by a group leader ofthe group call.
 26. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor isconfigured with processor-executable instructions to perform operationsfurther comprising: transmitting a plurality of talk spurts, theplurality of talk spurts comprising a plurality of media files; andgenerating a plurality of index entries for the plurality of talk spurtsin an index of previously transmitted talk spurts of the group call. 27.The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the processor is configured withprocessor-executable instructions to perform operations furthercomprising: receiving a selection of a talk spurt from the index ofpreviously transmitted talk spurts; and transmitting, in response toreceiving the selection of the talk spurt, an indication of the selectedtalk spurt to the one or more members of the communication group. 28.The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the processor is configured withprocessor-executable instructions to perform operations furthercomprising: receiving a talk spurt during the group call; and markingthe talk spurt to indicate that the user wishes to respond to the talkspurt.
 29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the processor isconfigured with processor-executable instructions to perform operationssuch that marking the talk spurt comprises marking the talk spurt usinga touch, audible, physical, or key-based action.
 30. The apparatus ofclaim 28, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executableinstructions to perform operations further comprising: attemptingunsuccessfully to obtain a floor of the group call in response to thetalk spurt.
 31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the processor isconfigured with processor-executable instructions to perform operationssuch that marking the talk spurt comprises marking the talk spurt inresponse to attempting unsuccessfully to obtain a floor of the groupcall.
 32. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein the indication comprises anindication that the user is responding to the talk spurt.
 33. Anapparatus for synchronizing media sharing in a communication group,comprising: means for transmitting a media file stored on the apparatusto a member of the communication group before transmitting a request tostart a group call with the member of the communication group; means forreceiving, after transmitting the media file, a selection of the mediafile stored on the apparatus, wherein the selection of the media file ismade by a user of the apparatus; and means for transmitting, in responseto receiving the selection of the media file stored on the apparatus, arequest to start a group call with the member of the communication groupor a request to acquire a floor of the group call.
 34. A non-transitorycomputer-readable medium having stored thereon processor-executableinstructions for synchronizing media sharing in a communication groupconfigured to cause a processor to perform operations comprising:transmitting, by a wireless telecommunication device, a media filestored on the wireless telecommunication device to a member of thecommunication group before transmitting a request to start a group callwith the member of the communication group; receiving, on the wirelesstelecommunication device, after transmitting the media file, a selectionof the media file stored on the wireless telecommunication device,wherein the selection of the media file is made by a user of theapparatus; and transmitting, in response to receiving the selection ofthe media file stored on the wireless telecommunication device, arequest to start a group call with the member of the communication groupor a request to acquire a floor of the group call.